‘Significant improvement’ wanted for UK companies to satisfy variety targets | EUROtoday

Ethnic minority illustration in management roles on the UK’s largest firms has elevated over the previous yr, a government-backed overview has discovered.

However, “significant further improvement” remains to be wanted to satisfy variety targets by subsequent yr.

The newest Parker Review additionally famous a “disappointing” decline in black illustration at board and senior administration ranges final yr.

Despite this, ethnic variety broadly improved throughout FTSE 350 boards and senior management within the newest reporting interval.

Chair of the overview David Tyler stated he was “pleased” with continued engagement and efforts concerning variety from companies regardless of “headwinds” throughout the Atlantic, with many US firms pulling variety and inclusion targets underneath Donald Trump’s presidency.

The newest report discovered that ethnic minorities now maintain 20 per cent of FTSE 100 board positions and 16 per cent of board roles at FTSE 250 companies, with each representing file ranges.

This included 14 ethnic minority chief executives throughout the FTSE 100, one other file excessive.

It signifies that 98 of FTSE 100 firms now have a minimum of one ethnic minority director on their board, rising from 95 in 2024.

The Parker Review was launched in 2015 as a part of efforts to drive an enchancment in variety throughout senior management roles within the UK’s largest firms.

However, the most recent figures confirmed that solely 42 per cent of the UK’s 50 largest personal firms at present meet the 2027 goal for board illustration, dropping from 48 per cent within the earlier yr.

The report additionally stated that “while progress continues, significant further improvement will be required over the next two years for many companies to meet their self-set 2027 targets”.

Mr Tyler stated: “We are pleased to note that the engagement of the business community with the Parker Review on ethnic diversity has shown no decline despite headwinds from across the Atlantic.

“The ethnic diversity of the UK workforce has increased significantly over the last 25 years and will continue to do so over the next quarter century.

“Companies realise that they need to respond to this by recruiting and retaining talented people in the minority ethnic communities to ensure that they remain competitive.”

Soumen Das, co-chair of the Parker Review Steering Committee, stated: “As we transition to a new leadership and move into the next phase of the Review’s work, our focus will be on building on this progress, addressing areas which need further attention, and supporting companies in delivering against their 2027 commitments.”

Business secretary Peter Kyle stated: “I welcome the progress shown in this report — but progress is not the finish line. There is more to do to ensure our boardrooms truly reflect the talent and diversity of modern Britain, and I look forward to the Parker Review continuing to drive fairer representation into the future.”